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ISRA Teams

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The ISRA Junior High-power Program is dedicated to respect for and safe handling of firearms, while instilling patriotism and discipline in our youth participants. Our objective is to:

  • Grow the sport of High-power Rifle competition by preparing juniors to be fully developed competitors that will take responsibility for passing on their skills to the next generation of juniors.
  • Represent the Illinois State Rifle Association in individual and team matches at state, regional, and national matches.
  • Participate in matches listed in the ISRA High-power Schedule (illinoishighpower.org).

The ISRA Junior High-power Team, known as the Hard Dogs, has a long history of outstanding results in high-power competition. Several national championships have been won by the Hard Dogs. Many past Hard Dogs have excelled in college and in life. Being a member of the team is as much about building character, and learning responsibility, as it is about gaining marksmanship skills.

The team members come from all parts of Illinois. Team members range in age from 12 through age 20. With safety being number one, the lower age limit is dependent upon the junior exhibiting the physical and mental ability to safely handle an AR-15 rifle.

Experienced adult competitors provide coaching throughout the season working with the individual members and providing team clinics. The Hard Dogs have established a strong group of young competitors that with continued development will soon be a force to be reckoned with in the sport of high-power. The team continues to recruit and has the resources to take on and train additional youth from across the state. If you have a young man or woman aged 12-20 that is interested in learning more about the ISRA High-power Program, please contact us at harddogs@isra.org

You can follow the Hard Dogs on Facebook by joining our group at Illinois Hard Dogs.

2020 Illinois Junior High-power Team Raffle Winners

The 2020 ISRA Junior High-power Team Raffle Winners: GRAND PRIZE RIFLE

  • 1st – M1 GARAND RIFLE Doug K. – Crystal Lake, IL

Remaining Prizes

  • 2nd – COMPLETE AR15 NATIONAL MATCH CMP UPPER RECEIVER Kevin L. Geneseo, IL
  • 3rd – SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD-E 9MM PISTOL Jim T. – Highland Falls, NY
  • 4th – COMPLETE DSA 16” QUADRAIL UPPER RECEIVER Don P. – Charlotte, NC
  • 5th – GIRAUD POWER CASE TRIMMER Liam M. – Warrenville, IL
  • 6th – Rack’Em Racks Gun & Boot Racks Dan B. – Chicago, IL

Drawing was held on July 31, 2020 at the Wheaton Rifle Club.

You do NOT need to be present to win. The Team Chairman will call you. The transfer of firearms to the winner will be in accordance with all applicable laws.

Junior Palma Match

The Palma match goes far back to 1876 at the time of “The Great Centennial Rifle Match”. This was a 1000-yard rifle match. The trophy for this match was designed by Tiffany’s of New York and was a replica for a Roman Legion Standard which stood seven and a half feet. At the top of the trophy is an eagle wings spread; below was a wreath of laurel with a bar behind it with the word “Palma” inscribed upon it. The Romans used the palms and laurel as symbols of victory.  Inscribed on this baroque trophy are the words “In the name of the United States and the riflemen of the world”.

The title “The Great Centennial Rifle Match” was soon replaced with a short description of “Palma”.

Thank you for supporting the Hard Dogs!

“Ninety-eight percent of the people in this country are decent, hardworking, honest Americans. It’s the other lousy two percent that get all the publicity. But then, we elected them.”

Lily Tomlin

“The people who work against your gun rights are basically saying to you, “The right of the criminal to rip you off, rape and kill you shall not be infringed.” And they wonder why we’re a bit testy”

Editor of KABA LIBERTY ADVOCATE, Friday, July 30, 2001

“I declare to you that woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself, and there I take my stand.”

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

“You may find me one day dead in a ditch somewhere. But by God, you’ll find me in a pile of brass.”

Tpr. M. Padgett

“Using inner city kids as your proof that guns and kids don’t mix, is like using an alcoholic to prove all people will abuse alcohol.”

Lori Broadhead

“How dare politicians continue to pass insane laws forcing good, law-abiding people to be defenseless and helpless.”

Ted Nugent

The said Constitution [shall] never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe or to prevent the people of the United States from keeping their own arms.”

Samuel Adams, Massachusetts' U.S. Constitution Ratification Convention, 1788

“One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation.”

Thomas B. Reed (1886)

“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.”

Thomas Jefferson, Proposed Virginia Constitution (1776)

“Foolish liberals who are trying to read the Second Amendment out of the Constitution are courting disaster by encouraging others to use the same means to eliminate portions of the constitution THEY don’t like.”

Alan Dershowitz

“Every 13 seconds in America someone uses a gun to stop a crime.”

Sen. Larry Craig

“The AK-47 is not a device of aggression … I devised this machine-gun for the security of my country,”

Mikhail Kalashnikov, April 1997